1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the field of interface connections for circuit cards. In particular, the present invention pertains to an interface for connecting a circuit card with an electronic unit, in which the interface can be selectively engaged or disengaged.
2. Background Information
A variety of circuit cards are being developed for desktop and portable computers that provide many new capabilities to computer users, including, for example, wireless communication. To implement a wireless communication device on a circuit card, an antenna for transmitting and receiving radio frequency (RF) signals must be provided. Preferably, an antenna is associated with the host computer, instead of each individual circuit card. Thus, an interface is required between a circuit card and an antenna associated with a computer. The interface must provide sufficient bandwidth for efficient communication of RF signals.
Circuit cards implementing wireless communication devices are particularly useful in connection with a notebook computer to provide a portable, wireless communication link. These communication devices are often implemented on a PCMCIA card to allow more convenient portability in a smaller notebook computer. Thus, in particular, an RF interface is required between a PCMCIA card and an antenna associated with a notebook computer. However, the RF interface should not interfere with the operation of circuit cards that do not utilize the antenna. Existing RF interfaces consist of a cable that is routed external to a notebook computer. One end of the cable is connected to an antenna, and the other end is connected to an outward facing end of the PCMCIA card.